Orlando Restaurants: Crackerbarrel, Lonestar and Cheesecake Factory

These three aren’t Mom & Pop restaurants, buried off the main drag where only locals can find them, but we found the food, the service and ambience to be exactly what we fancied as hungry (and ok ok, occasionally lost) tourists. Please don’t judge me.

Crackerbarrel’s cherry buttermilk pancakes. Heaven on a plate. I was rather tempted to throw out all of my clothes, and repack my suitcase with their buttermilk pancake dry mix.

But I knew I’d get cold eventually so logic reigned (and I didn’t need those trainers).

Crackerbarrel was our go-to breakfast place (when not out early, then it was porridge in our apartment). Their buttermilk pancakes are simply the best I have ever eaten, and their biscuits. Oh their biscuits. Hot, soft and utterly melt in the mouth. Even locals we made poolside friends with eulogised over their biscuits.

Lonestar took us two attempts to get into it was so popular (and we made the initial rookie mistake of turning up on a Saturday night).

Our server was fantastic, taking the time to re-make a less than stellar mojito and show us a parade of plated desserts. She was a wicked, wicked woman.

Genuine Floridian Key Lime Pie. It was rude to say no.

She also tipped us off to the Cheesecake Factory. OhEmGee. Not only were the Bing Bang geeks inside us excited (and kinda cottoning onto Big Bang’s brand name dropping each episode) she told us about their insane menu.

This is the Americana Burger. Hubs, a burger connosieur said it’s the best he’s ever eaten. This is high praise indeed from a moany Englishman. (Oops, did I just say that?)

There was so much food, we ended up carrying a lot of it home, with our cheesecake to enjoy over subsequent meals.

Genuinely, how I lost a kg (or 2lbs) on this holiday I will never know. none I these restaurants know who I am, nothing was compedI just like (over)sharing.

Well done if you’ve made it this far. Are you hungry yet? (Ps. totally not related, I am was guest blogger for First Contact today, come say hey!)

So, 5 things to bear in mind when ordering food in Florida;

The Portions are usually immense (I started ordering kids’ portion, and let’s face it, I like eating so that says something.) On balance, all the restaurants are more than happy to provide takeaway boxes (and cups in some instances.)

Nothing is ever too much trouble for the serving staff. Tip well.

They LOVE endless drinks, but not pricing alcoholic drinks in the menus so just keep an eye out.

If it looks divey or does pick up (with an exception for Crackerbarrel) it probably is divey.

Kia ora, welcome, welcome!

This my travel blog featuring as many Adventures as a London (based) Kiwi that I can fit in with a side of uniqueness. I’ve always wanted to live life to the full, explore as many corners of the globe as possible, nibble as many different delectations, experience history and seek out the special things in life. Consider yourself warned about me...